Rescoring apparatus for golf clubs



Patented Aug. 29, 1950 RESCORING APPARATUS FOR GOLF CLUBS Oliver W. Partain and Elmer M. Lang, Tulsa, Okla.; said Lang assignor to said Partain Application July 10, 1948, Serial No. 38,118

This invention relates to apparatus for rescoring golf clubs and more particularly to a combination tool and fixture for straightening the edges and otherwise rescoring the grooves in the striking face of iron golf clubs.

Golf clubs, particularly those called irons usually have grooves on the striking face, said grooves being longitudinally of the face or perpendicular to the direction of travel of the club face when striking a ball. New clubs have relatively sharp edges on the grooves and tend to add to the bite of the club onto the ball and add to the back spin imparted to the ball. After considerable use, the edges of the grooves become peened over until the grooves are not of conventional width and depth and the clubs have less tendency to place a spin on the ball. Due to the change in the ability of the club to place a spin on the ball, many golf players sell or trade their clubs and obtain new ones, however, actually the old clubs are efficient as far as weight and balance and if the grooves are made uniform or recut to conventional width and depth, said old clubs would function substantially as well as new ones.

The objects of the present invention are to provide an apparatus for regrooving golf clubs to restore substantially the original ability of said clubs to place a spin on the ball; to provide apparatus for clamping a golf club in a fixture and aligning a guide with the respective grooves for reciprocation of a cutting tool in said grooves to make same of suitable uniform size and shape; to provide guide means for maintaining the grooves parallel; to provide a simple fixture and cutter easily applied, adjusted and operated for rescoring any conventional iron golf club; and to provide a golf club rescoring device adapted for hand use by unskilled persons to effectively restore the uniformity of grooves in golf clubs.

In accomplishing these and other Objects of the present invention, we have provided improved details of structure, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the rescoring apparatus applied to the head of a golf club (iron-l,

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the apparatus showing the guide means aligned with a groove in the golf club.

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation, particularly illustrating the position of the clamping means on the fixture.

Fig. 4 is a bottom view of th e apparatus, por- 6 Claims. (01. 90-38) H and I8.

tions being broken away to illustrate the locking of the guide means to the fixture.

Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the apparatus illustrating the engagement of the striking face of the club with the portions of the fixture.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the cutting tool used for the rescoring of the clubs.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a modified form of rescoring tool.

Fig. 8 is an elevation of the rescoring tool in position for engaging a groove of a club.

Referring more in detail to the drawing:

l designates apparatus for rescoring the grooves in golf clubs generally consisting of a fixture 2 adjustably mounting a guide bar 3 for guiding a scoring tool G which is moved along the guide bar in the rescoring of the grooves 5 in the striking face 6 of the head "i of the type of golf club 8 commonly called irons.

The fixture 2 includes a back plate 9 of substantially the same length as the blade forming a part of the golf club head and of suitable width to provide a boss l6 adjacent the free edge ll of said back plate substantially centrally disposed relative to the golf club head. The boss II] has a threaded bore I2 for-mounting a setscrew [3 preferably including a wing type head [4 whereby the screw may be turned into engagement with a club head as later described. The edges Ii] of the back plate converge toward the opposite edge IE to reduce the metal required and facilitate the placing of a golf club in the fixture. The opposite edge I5 is preferably straight and substantially parallel with the heel l6 of the golf club head.

Flanges H and I8, preferably integral with the back plate and arranged at the ends thereof adjacent the edge i5, extend forwardly of said back plate, said flanges being perpendicular to the forward face 19 of said back plate. The flanges terminate in upwardly extending parallel arms 28 and 2|, preferably having rear faces 22 parallel to the forward face 19 on the back plate, the faces 22 being spaced from the face [9 sumciently to permit the insertion of the head of any conventional iron golf club therebetween, with the heel of the golf club resting on the flanges The arms 20 and 2| are preferably so arranged that the spacing between the inner able depth to receive the guide bar 3 therein, wherein said guide bar may be moved across the width of the face of the club with the rear face 28 of said guide bar slightly spaced from the striking face 6 of the club head to provide clearance facilitating the moving of said bar. Arranged adjacent the ends of the guide bar are threaded bores 29 aligning with slots .30 and 3! in the arms and 2], whereby shanks .32 of setscrews 33 extend through the respective slots and are threadedly engaged in the threaded bores 29 of the guide bar, said setscrews having heads 34 adapted to engage the forward 121.0835 of the arms 20 and 2| to clamp the guide bar to said arms. The guide bar is preferably provided with a longitudinal slot 3'5 which is wider than the grooves of the club and of suitable width :tolslid ably receive the end 37 of the rescoring tool 4 adapted to be moved along the slot 36 to cut the grooves in the striking face of the club head.

The scoring too'l preferably consists of a handle portion 39 having a frustro-conical portion 39 on one end thereof, the small end of the frustraconica'l portion terminating in a shank 40, the end 31 of which is flattened or cut to provide parallel sides 4! and 42 and a thickness of slightly less than the width of the slot '35 and of greater width than the groove to be out in the striking face of the club, whereby the end facel-B of said shank will enga e the face of the club at the sides of the groove to be cut. The sha-nkdfl is provided with a socket extending therein from the face 43 and adapted to receive a cutter 4 therein. The cutter projects from the face 43 a distance equal to the regulation depth of the club grooves, and is of a width equal to the regulation width of said grooves. The end of the cutter 44 is provided with a V-shaped cut 45, so arranged that the intersection of the V-shaped cut with the edges of the flattened portion of the shank 40 form cutting edges 46. Said tool preferably is hardened to enhance the cutting ability of the tool.

In using a tool constructed as described, the

setscrew i3 is turned to back same into the back plate 9 suiiioien-tly for the insertion of a golf club head between the back plate 9 and the arms 20 and 2!. The head of the golf club is then inserted between the faces 49 and 22 with the striking face '6 in engagement with the faces 2! and the heel 16 of said club resting on the flanges IT and 18. The setscrew i3 is then turned to move the ends 46 thereof into engagement with the back of the club head to clamp the striking face against the faces 22 of the arms 28 and 2!. The screw 43 preferably is arranged at a suitable angle relative to the back plate as shown in Fig. 5, whereby the clamping force of said screw tends to hold the heel of the club in engagement with the flanges H and I8, this angular arrangement being desired due to the fact that most clubs are thicker at the bottom or heel edge to provide weight in the club head. The setscrews 33 are then loosened to permit free movement of the guide bar 3, which is then moved with the setscrew shanks sliding in the slots 30 and 3| to position the slot 36 in alignment with a groove in the club face. It is preferable to start with the first groove at either the top or the bottom of the club face, When the slot 36 aligns with the groove, the setscrews 33 are tightened to securely lock the guide bar in place. The rescorjng tool is then inserted whereby the faces 4| and 42 substantially engage the sides of the guide bar slot and the end face of the shank 40 engages the striking face of the club and the cutting edges 46 engage in the groove of said golf club. Reciprocal movement of the rescoring tool longitudinally of the guide bar while applying pressure on said tool to force same into the groove and the end face 43 in engagement with the striking face of the club causes the respective cutting edges 46 to cut metal from the sides and bottom of said groove. If the slot 36 is properly arranged and aligned relative to the groove in the club, said groove will remain a standard width as determined by the width of the cutting tool 44. After cutting or rescoring one groove, the setscrews 33 are loosened and the guide bar moved in the recesses 25 and 26 to align with the next succeeding groove and the process rep ated. This is continued until all the grooves in the striking face are rescored. The setscrew 13 is then turned to back same from engagement with the club head to permit removal of the club head from the fixture which is then ready to receive the next club to be processed.

The modified form of rescoring tool shown in Figs. 7 and 8 consists of a handle portion 4'1 terminating in a shank 48 arranged at an angle to the handle. The shank is flattened to provide parallel sides 49 of a portion of slightly less width than the slot 86 whereby said portion may be moved in said slot with the end face 52 of the shank engaging the striking face of the club. Secured in a socket 5| in the shank is a cutter 52 having substantially the same width as the grooves to be cut and projecting from the shank face 49 the amount of the regulation depth of said grooves. The cutter 52 is relieved on the trailing portion to facilitate cutting action. The eornors or end edges of the face 49 are arranged "on radii as at 53 to prevent destroying oi the wire edges produced at the side edges of the grooves by the cutter.

It is believed obvious that we have provided a simple, eiiicient rescoring apparatus capable of accurately cutting the sides and bottom of the grooves in used golf clubs to restore same to substantially their original efficiency in placing spin on the ball being struck.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus for rescoring the grooves in golf clubs comprising, a clamp having spaced parallel arms, means on the clamp for engagement with a head of a golf club for clamping said head against the parallel arms, a guide having a slot therein slidably mounted on the arms and substantially engaging the face of a golf club and movable 'thereover to selectively align the slot with the grooves in said club, means for locking the guide to engage the striking face of a golf club, means adapted for engagement with said club head to clamp the head against the arms, a guide bar having a slot therein slidably mounted on said arms for movement over the face of a golf club to selectively align said bar with the grooves in said club, said bar substantially engaging the grooved portion of the striking face of the golf club, means for clamping the bar to the arms in selected position, and a cutting tool slidable in the guide bar slot and engaging in the club grooves for cutting same in response to movement of said tool along said guide bar.

3. Apparatus for rescoring the grooves in golf clubs comprising, spaced parallel arms adapted to engage the striking face of a golf club, a back plate spaced from said arms and integral therewith whereby a golf club engaging the arms is between the plate and arms, means adapted for engagement with said club head to clamp the head against the arms, a guide bar slidably mounted on said arms for movement over the face of a golf club to selectively align said bar with the grooves in said club, means for clamping the bar tothe arms in selected position, a tool adapted for sliding engagement with the guide bar, and cutting edges on said tool adapted to en gage in the club grooves for cutting same in response to movement of said tool along the groove.

4. Apparatus for rescoring the grooves in golf clubs comprising, spaced parallel arms adapted to engage the striking face of a golf club, a back plate spaced from said arms and having connection therewith whereby a golf club engaging the arms is between the plate and arms, means on the back plate adapted for engagement with said club head to clamp the head against the arms, a guide bar having a slot therein slidably mounted on said arms for movement over the face of a golf club to selectively align said slot with the grooves in said club, means for clamping the bar to the arms in selected position, a tool slidable in the guide bar slot, and cutting edges on said tool adapted to engage in the club grooves for cutting same in response to movement of said tool along said grooves.

5. Apparatus for rescoring the grooves in golf clubs comprising, spaced parallel arms adapted to engage the striking face of a golf club, said arms having a slot therein transversely of the grooves in the club engaged by said arms, a back plate spaced from said arms and having connection therewith whereby a golf club head engaging the arms is between the plate and arms, means in the back plate adapted for engagement with said club head to clamp the head against the arms, recesses in the arms, a guide bar having a slot therein and having its ends slidably mounted in said recesses for movement over the face of the golf club to selectively align the slot with the grooves in said club, means in said bar extending through the slots in the arms for clamping said bar in selected position, a tool slidable in the guide bar slot, and cutting edges on said tool adapted to engage in the club grooves for cutting same in response to movement of said tool along said grooves.

6. Apparatus for rescoring the grooves in golf clubs comprising, spaced parallel arms to engage the striking face of a golf club, said arms having a slot therein transversely of the grooves in the club engaged by said arms, a back plate spaced from said arms and integral therewith whereby a golf club head engaging the arms is between the plate and arms, an angularly arranged setscrew threadedly mounted in the back plate adapted for engagement with said club head to clamp the head against the arms, recesses in the arms, a guide bar having a slot therein and having its ends slidably mounted in said recesses for movement over the face of the golf club to selectively align the slot with the grooves in said club, said bar having threaded bores adjacent the ends thereof and aligning with the slots in the arms, screws extending through the slots in the arms and threaded into the threaded bores for clamping said bar to the arms in selected position, a tool slidable in the guide bar slot, and cutting edges on said tool adapted to engage in the club grooves for cutting same in response to movement of said tool along the grooves.

OLIVER W. PARTAIN. ELMER M. LANG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in th file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 438,826 Randall Oct. 21, 1890 814,633 Welter Mar. 6, 1906 1,235,031 Holmgren July 31, 1917 2,478,026 Thorell Aug. 2, 1949 

